The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for treating of photographic materials, more particularly to an apparatus for treating -- especially for developing -- photographic materials by contact with a treating fluid.
Apparatus is already known from the prior art in which the photographic material to be treated is transported in form of strips or individual sheets by two or more drums which turn and thereby advance a transporting belt or the like, which in turn then engages and advances the photographic material.
A further apparatus known from the prior art proposes to guide the photographic material to be treated over plates which are formed with suction nozzles so that treating fluid is pulled through these nozzles and, in entering the same, tends to pull the photographic material against the plate surface. The advancement of the photographic material in this case is effected by imparting a reciprocating movement to the plates. This type of construction has been found to be disadvantageous for a number of reasons, including the fact that a relatively complicated drive is required to impart the reciprocatory movement to the plates and that despite this the advancement of the photographic material is not uniform. Moreover, this type of apparatus as well as the others known from the prior art, requires a relatively large amount of treating fluid which is needed to fill the various spaces that are traversed by the photographic material.
An additional disadvantage of the prior art apparatus of the type in question, insofar as it operates with suction in order to draw the photographic material against a component of the apparatus, results from the fact that intermediate the areas where the photographic material is pulled by suction against such a component or components, the material tends to belly out and to contact other surfaces with which such contact is not intended. This can lead to damage to the emulsion or other sensitive layers of the photographic material, or it can result in improper and non-uniform developing of a photographic material.